Hypnobirth Tips Albany NY

by Kerry Tuschhoff, HCHI, CHt

In your Birth Experience!

We, as women need to be very proactive in order to have the kind of gentle and serene birth that we dream of, taking responsibility for educating ourselves about choices, and informed consent while in labor. There is much to know about how to get what you want. Please read the article below by the respected Doris Haire. The part that will be most important for you to get what you want is making an effective birth plan and this:

"Hospital consent form: During the latter part of your pregnancy write to the hospital's Public Relations office and ask for a copy of the consent form used for obstetric patients. On admission to the hospital, write in above your signature on the consent form, "Subject to my informed consent at the time." Keep in mind, if you don't give informed consent, you have not consented. (All you are asking for is that the staff inform you of what is going on and why, with any procedures, which you have the right to know.)

If you are refused admission unless you sign the consent form "as is", sign the form. Once you are in the obstetric unit give the nurse who is preparing you a slip of paper with your previously written instructions, as follows:

"I hereby withdraw my consent to all non-emergency drugs or procedures unless you obtain my informed consent at the time. Neither I nor my baby shall be used as a teaching or research subject without my informed consent at the time."

This simply protects you and your baby from procedures that may be done at any time if you don't write that in, as on the actual consent form, it states that anything deemed medically necessary will be done to you and baby, without discussing it with you first. If you just sign that form and don't ask for informed consent, you won't get it, and you may find the nurses and doctors doing many things without explaining what is happening, which may not be on your Birth Plan. Unnecessary interventions can affect your hypno-birth in a very negative way. Read the full article by Doris Haire.

An excellent resource that I believe all women should read is Henci Goer's book, The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth.

Disclaimer: Hypnobabies Network, and Kerry Tuschhoff assume no responsibility or liability for the outcome of any pregnancy, labor, or birth. The content of the above information is in no way to be represented as medical advice, nor as a prescription for medical procedure. As always, you should seek the advice of a medical doctor or midwife to answer any health-related or pregnancy-related issues surrounding your pregnancy, labor and delivery, or before starting any new pregnancy-related program.